


A Date With Destiny

by AlQaholic



Category: Akame ga Kill! (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:46:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlQaholic/pseuds/AlQaholic
Summary: In the final battle against the Empire, Tatsumi manages to stop the Shikoutazer but is saved by Esdeath after his body is destroyed. Unbeknownst to him, something sinister has begun taking root within his mind, and it won't let up until he's gone completely. In a quest to save him, Esdeath and Tatsumi must journey deep into the unknown before it's too late.





	1. High Stakes

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd also like to read on a different website, this story can also be found on Fanfiction.net under the same alias: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13135764/1/A-Date-With-Destiny

_No! It's going to crush the civilians!_

Tatsumi made a mad dash for the Shikoutazer. It was toppling over, heavy and fast like a boulder down a cliff. He could hear the citizens of the Capital screaming from this far up, and it spurred him to move faster. He had to stop it. Every second counted. As it fell, the monstrosity of a Teigu was kicking up plumes of dust and debris that sounded like hell. Tatsumi didn't know if anyone could even halt something so massive, but he would give it his best shot. He figured the chances were slim even if he was in perfect condition, and even slimmer because he wasn't. He barely had any strength as it was.

Tatsumi clenched his teeth. Every inch he moved, his muscles burned, hot with a pain beyond what he had ever imagined or ever experienced in any previous combat. The intensity of it... This was the price of the power to save what mattered to him. Incursio's evolved form was taking further toll on his body and drained him even more, but it didn't matter. He was no longer operating on strength, but on something else deep inside him. Sheer willpower. It was all that was keeping him glued together at this point.

Tatsumi saw himself getting closer to the Shikoutazer.

He could do it. He could do it! He was going to make it in time; he just had to keep going!

It was only a few seconds, but it'd felt like a million. Tatsumi planted his hands on the colossal Teigu. Reaching the Teigu had a been a challenge in itself, but once he laid his hands on it, he had realized the true extent of what he was about to do. The weight was punishing, like trying to lift the entire world off your shoulders. If it wasn't for Incursio, the sheer force of it falling would've shattered his arms like a rock through glass. He knew, from the moment he put his hands on it, that he couldn't stop it from collapsing, but he could at least keep it from sliding further across the Capital. Yes, he had to try!

Bro.

Mine.

Lubbock.

Chelsea.

Susanoo.

They were all watching.

It was going to take everything he had. Tatsumi didn't know if he had it in him, but he began to push with all his might, growling and gritting his teeth. His arms quivered and his shot muscles strained against the unrelenting weight as his armor was pushed to the limits. His fingers, his hands, they felt like they were going to implode from the pressure of holding it back. He held on anyway and drove his body against the falling Teigu as much as he could, heaving and huffing for his life. Tatsumi's face flushed red with strain and his eyes became bloodshot. He didn't know if his head was going to pop; he could feel the pressure, the tension in his blood vessels.

No! No, it wasn't working!

Tatsumi's eyes widened. The Shikoutazer was plummeting towards the Earth with the force of an asteroid. It would not yield.

When Tatsumi looked back, he found the ground a lot bigger, and a lot closer than before. The longer the Shikoutazer fell, the more momentum it gained and the more unstoppable it became. His prospects were becoming worse. The momentum! It was too strong! In a few moments, it would crush him and take the citizens below with it.

No, no, no! He was powerless! Tatsumi cursed with blood-curdling rage. He began to punch the Shikoutazer. He was pushing with all he had, but deep down, he knew he wasn't strong enough with his current reserves. That couldn't be. He was trying, and yet he was going to fail all the same. What could he do? No one else was going to stop it, but he was too weak from his battle with the Emperor. He needed more strength, and he needed it now, but he had nowhere left to pull it from.

At least... not if he wasn't willing to risk it.

Tatsumi looked towards himself. Towards Incursio. By now, Incursio's armor had regressed from a brilliant gold to a dull silver. It's previous power had dwindled away with its wielder like a fading fire. Once again, Tatsumi needed more strength, but he had already surpassed the limits of his Teigu once.

To push Incursio a second time...

He could barely control the last evolution, but that was a risk he was going to have to take. The armor was there for him. It had bonded with him, and it would respond to his demands. He wasn't going to die. Not without putting up a fight! He didn't know what it'd mean for him in the end, but whether or not it mattered wasn't part of the question. He knew what he had to do. Even if it killed him, so be it. It was a noble death, and he would gladly die fighting for those who needed his help.

Tatsumi readied himself as much as he could in the split-second he had. It was going to hurt like hell, but it was too late to turn back now. He'd come too far for that. In an instant, he began to muster all his strength. From every corner of his body, he gathered anything he could find, and he felt the rage build inside him, the rage that burned for his allies and for his friends, and the rage that had brought him so far despite everything. Then, the word began to flow all by itself. He let it out, like a dragon breathing the flames of death.

"INCURSIOOOO!"

The armor responded. Tatsumi's rage consumed his heart like a blaze, and Incursio fed off it's explosive power. It knew what he desired. Tatsumi screamed in agony as the Teigu began to harvest the very essence of his life and evolve once more. His heart beat in agony, as though a sinister evil had penetrated his chest and gripped the organ in it's wretched hands. The smell of death lingered on his screams. It needed more resources. It ripped even further into him at the core of his being and devoured anything it could to give Tatsumi what he wanted. The evolution had been too premature; he wasn't strong enough to resist the effects of it, and so it took a piece of him as payment. As he braced himself under the falling Shikoutazer, he could feel it wrenching at his soul until it got what it needed.

_This pain... What unbelievable pain._

It was like being torn from your own body.

Tatsumi's harrowing scream continued; he felt like his insides were aflame. He fought for control of himself, he wouldn't let the Tyrant consume him, but he was slipping away faster than he could think. He had to survive or else his sacrifice would be in vain. As he writhed about in agony, images of his comrades filled his vision. Pain, anger, wrath... These are the powers that propelled him. It was all on him. He knew he couldn't stop now. He resisted with everything he had until the pain finally stopped. There was an ominous flash of red light, and then came a feeling of nothingness. The bright light blinded him, and then Tatsumi realized he had done it. Incursio had improved once more.

The armor was red. Like blood.

An armor built on the very fabric of the user's soul.

It had become even more reptilian. The eyes were glowing like two white hot embers, and a scaled dragon's tail stuck out on the aft side with wings to boot. Horns stuck out of the helmet, and along the fingers and toes were piercing claws that cut into the air like the sharpened teeth of a Danger Beast. The armor itself was thinner and sleeker than any previous version, redolent of a streamlined bullet, although with many slanted edges and points.

There was no power more refined than the essence of one's life. It provided the greatest potential for strength, but also the greatest cost.

_Thank you, Incursio._

The armor was the pinnacle of efficiency. It radiated a hellish energy - heat - the burning fire of the user's spirit. He could feel the energy pulsating through his veins, and it continued to churn in a vortex of growing vigor. There was no pain anymore, only the goal in mind. The armor had deadened his nerves and he could no longer feel anything but the desire to finish the fight.

Tatsumi let out a mighty yell and drove himself against the Shikoutazer. The lack of pain gave him new clarity, and he felt himself pushing harder than ever before. He channeled the energy coursing through his veins with demonic precision, concentrating it on a single point. It was as if every star in his head had aligned perfectly. Everything, every ounce of his being, was focused on stopping the Shikoutazer, and it began to get slower and slower. It hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud and started skidding across the Capital towards more people, but Tatsumi pushed even harder. He wanted it to stop. He demanded it. The armor held steadfast against the pressure.

_It's now or never!_

The Shikoutazer grinded deafeningly against the Capital's streets. Tatsumi planted his feet into the Earth, splitting two ruts into the ground that were quickly erased by the colossal Teigu. He closed his eyes and magnified his focus ten-fold. Pushing upwards from his hands, he dug the ruts even deeper in an attempt to stop the Teigu from going any further. He didn't care if his arms cracked or his bones broke beneath him. He gave it everything he had. He was grateful that he couldn't feel the pain, but he could still feel the enormous pressure on the soles of his feet and tips of his fingers. It was working! It was slowing down!

Incursio backed his efforts. Like rage seeping from his body, Tatsumi began to see his armoured fingers burning into the metal skin of the Shikoutazer with red-hot glow. It was melting the exterior! The scarlet-colored aura that was all around his hand hovered just above Incursio's gauntlets and grinded against the Shikoutazer's metal skin with a sharp, harsh sound that pierced the air. It was the combined fury of the Tyrant and Tatsumi. The armor and the man that donned it worked in complete harmony.

This was it.

This was the end.

It wasn't long before it happened. In the face of Tatsumi's unyielding will, the Shikoutazer came to a screeching halt and stopped just short of a crowd of frightened people. By now, his ears were ringing with an earsplitting shriek. Although the noise of buildings being crushed and the ground being torn up from underneath him had muddled his hearing, he could still hear the pleasant sounds of victory. There was no screaming. There was no turmoil in the wind. The air was much more quiet now, as though the world wanted to show him a sign of respect for his accomplishment. All that was left for him to see was the sight of a colossal Teigu in the remains of a ravaged city.

He had done it.

It took him a second to fully grasp his surroundings. The blanket of dust and debris had already begun to clear by the time Tatsumi came to his senses. He stumbled back and away from the wall of metal he'd just stopped, and took a few weak steps towards the crowd of people. Although his muscles listened to his commands, he felt like he was a foreigner in his own body; it moved, and yet he couldn't feel it moving. It was strange to watch, and most definitely not normal. He didn't like the other signs either. His eyesight was blurred, but he didn't need good vision to see the splotches of red caking his person.

With his objective complete, Tatsumi's burning rage, the very thing that had kept him alive so long, had begun to wither and wane like a dying sun. It was the source of the armor's power. Just moments after the Shikoutazer came to a halt, Incursio deactivated, fading into a mist stained red with blood.

It had kept him alive this long.

No longer.

Tatsumi's eyelids got heavy, and he struggled to maintain consciousness as all the pain came rushing back in an instant. He thought he saw someone appear from the crowd, a feminine figure that started walking towards him from the center of his blurred vision. As he watched, the tickle in his chest grew into vicious throes of hellish torment. With one shallow breath, he took a small sip of fresh air; it felt cool on his burning lungs. He felt his knees weakening. He closed his eyes, and he thought he was going to hit the ground, but then that someone caught him.

"Tatsumi..." the woman whispered, pensive and sad.

The last thing he remembered was Esdeath taking him someplace else.


	2. Queen of Frost

He felt a strange tug on his soul that roused him awake. It was the same one from before.

_Huh? Where am I?_

When Tatsumi came to, he realized couldn't open his eyelids. They seemed heavier than usual, like they were weighed down by something, and they quivered slightly when he tried to open them. It'd felt like an eternity since he'd been awake. Where was he? He tried to remember what he'd been doing earlier but he wasn't certain, the incidents of the past all seemed like a blur to his groggy mind, but then he noticed that he was on a bed and someone was running their hands through his hair and humming an almost angelic melody. It was beautiful. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought he was in heaven. The sound of it was silky to his ears, and it made him want to fall back asleep with his head still nestled comfortably in their lap, but he was curious about who it was. Under normal circumstances, he would've preferred a pillow, but this was much better. Could he even move? Did he  _want_ to move? Well, there's no reason he couldn't sit back and enjoy this for a little bit, was there? If he was dead, it's not like he had anything to do.

Tatsumi smiled weakly, as much as he could in his current state. He lied there for a minute and just enjoyed the feeling of those soft hands gently kneading at his head. She was playing with his hair.  _This isn't so bad,_ he thought. Maybe this  _was_ heaven. When he thought of it, he had imagined there would be golden gates and an angel waiting with a logbook in hand for all the souls, but that was probably all just fantasy. Who knew though? He could just be in limbo. If anything, he might just want to stay here for a while before heading on upwards. This was just too good to be true.

Yes, it was...

Tatsumi continued to immerse himself in the experience. He was enjoying it - quite nicely, infact - or at least he was until he heard the woman kneading his hair speak. He almost choked on his own tongue.

"Tatsumi, please wake up." the woman cooed.

Tatsumi shot upright. "Esdeath!?"

As soon as he said those words, a sudden surge of pain rushed up Tatsumi's spine, and he regretted sitting up so quickly. He let out a short yell of agony. His muscles were protesting. Realizing that this was mistake, he immediately, although relucantly, let himself fall back into the woman's lap, and clenched his jaw when he did. Even letting gravity do all the work hurt more than it should've. Now that he was lying back down again, part of him still liked this position but a little less than before. Not a second later, the combination of the pain and looking up at Esdeath's face jogged his memory, and he remembered who the last person he saw was. It all made sense.

"Tatsumi!" Esdeath said with delight, "You're awake!" Esdeath looked down at him gleefully.

"Ugh..." Tatsumi continued to groan, but this time from the pain or the sudden revelation of who he was with he wasn't sure, "Kill me already."

"Now, why would I do that? I thought you'd never wake up. I was so lonely that I waited for you this whole time. How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm-" Tatsumi yowled again when he tried to get more comfortable, "Aghhh! Ah, ah!"

"Oh, Tatsumi," A troubled expression crossed Esdeath's face. She looked sad to see him so hurt. "Never mind; you don't have to answer that. Here, let me help you."

"No, it's okay!" Tatsumi quickly cut in, fearing pain as she reached her hands down, "Really, I'm fi-"

Tatsumi interrupted himself when she began to lift him up and his voice filled with surprise. He thought it was going to be painful, but he hardly felt a thing as she pulled him up from under the shoulders. With the tenderness of a lover, Esdeath lifted him so that he was sitting upright with his back to her and she was cuddling him from behind. Then, she pulled him snugly against her, much like a child would their blanket, and nestled her chin on his collarbone. He could feel her breasts pressing against his back. They were more pleasant to rest against than he'd like to admit.

"Comfortable?" she said with her cheeks flushed and a smile on her lips.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," Tatsumi grumbled with worn-out expression on his face, "I feel like a teddy bear."

Esdeath giggled and placed her hands in his lap, "You kind of are one."

Her hands were in a precarious place. Tatsumi almost didn't hear what she said when he felt one of her hands touch his inner thigh. Right then, she caused a strangely pleasurable shudder to shoot up his body. He didn't think she knew what she was doing to him, but she continued to feel around with her fingers, running them around in small, electrifying circles. He bit his lip to keep from making noise. It felt better than he wanted it to feel. He was so occupied with the sensation that he almost didn't notice how worked up he was getting. No more! No more!

"Esdeath," he uttered.

"Yes, Tatsumi?"

"Your hands..." he said uneasily, "Could you put them somewhere else?"

"Why?" she asked, confused, "Are they bothering you?"

"A little. It's hard to talk when you're moving them so much."

"Oh, you mean like this?" Esdeath ran her hand down his thigh again, brushing it dangerously against his groin.

"Yes," Tatsumi choked with a pale face as he tried to think about math, "Like that."

"Hm," A cunning smile curved up Esdeath's lips, but she stopped and wrapped her hands around his abdomen instead. "As you wish," she said. She sighed contently and then continued, "I can't believe you're awake. We're finally together again, and now that I have you all to myself, I was hoping you wouldn't be in such a bad condition. I wanted to have a little fun."

Tatsumi was startled to hear that. "Fun?!"

Esdeath blushed. "Well, I think you know what I mean."

_Lord, have mercy._

Oh, it was going to be a long day.

Tatsumi tried to crane his neck so he could get a look around, but he couldn't turn it much without causing another ripple of pain to shoot up. Despite that, he could still see some of the room from the corner of his eye. On the far side, he could see a window in the bedroom, sunlight peeking in, and some shady trees just outside. He also noticed the bed they were on was an luxurious king size with more than enough room for both of them. No wonder it was so comfortable.

"Hey, what is this place? Where have you taken me? And where are my friends? We're not in the Capital still, are we?" Tatsumi asked.

"Actually, this is an imperial safehouse."

"Safehouse?"

"Yes," Esdeath confirmed. "It was intended for the Prime Minister incase anything happened to the Empire, but he's gone so I decided to bring you. You'll be okay here; I'm the only one still alive who knows where this place is."

"T-that's a little weird, but hold on a minute, the Minister's actually dead?!"

"It seems so. I think one of your friends killed him. I could hardly believe it myself, considering how crafty he is."

"Oh, thank god," Tatsumi said, relieved. "Finally, some good news."

Esdeath's displeasure was obvious.

"Hey, don't tell me you actually liked that guy?" Tatsumi continued.

"No, of course not - he was a vain man - but the Empire is gone now, and I have no way to continue my hunt."

"Your hunt?"

"War," she said simply, "I desire it."

"What?! You can't be serious. If the Prime Minister's dead, then that means the war is over. Why would you want to start another one?"

"Oh, my dear Tatsumi..." Esdeath said, knowing he would never understand, "Good times create weak men, but hard times... hard times create strong men like you."

"You are serious, aren't you?" he said with realization.

"I am. Can't you tell?"

"I can, but I was hoping I was wrong." Tatsumi said colder than usual. He thought his comment sounded harsh, but the words didn't seem to faze her even a little bit. Damn it! Why did it have to be this way? Nothing had changed! Tatsumi slumped against Esdeath and let himself sink further into the mattress. It couldn't be that hopeless. He sighed and said, "You're something else, you know that?"

"I consider that a compliment." Esdeath replied cheerfully. She kissed the top of his head and put extra emphasis on the kissing sound.

Tatsumi grumbled but knew his cheeks were getting warm. How could someone be so cold and yet so sweet? Even now that the Empire was gone, she still didn't seem like she would change. He feared this would lead to a fatal confrontation down the line. He believed people could change, that anyone could be different if they really wanted to, but this was pushing it more than any other person. Are people so easily molded as he thought - like clay that simply needed the right hands to shape it? No... Maybe not. Her history had hardened her into something beyond shapeable.

Had it, really?

Every lock had its key, he supposed, but even with that in mind, Tatsumi couldn't think of anything to fix the situation as he tried to brainstorm. The right words? The right actions? Anything. Maybe he could think of something later on, but right now he was coming up with blanks. He knew at some point he'd have to. If he didn't do anything, he figured she would wreak havoc on the peace Night Raid had fought and sacrificed so much to obtain. That couldn't happen at any cost. As long as he was alive, he would not allow it. But then again, what was he to do?

_That won't happen... You aren't the one who will change me... That is the only outcome._

She seemed so adamant to change before, but he wondered just how much of that was true. Ever since their time on the island, everything had pointed to that fact - she would never change - and maybe he was a fool for not believing it so, but he realized now that he had to try. It was what he did. World peace required it. He knew she liked torture: she liked doing all the malicious things he despised and did not stand for, but just maybe, just maybe she liked him more than all that. Would she give it all up for him? He didn't know, but there was only one thing he could do to find out.

He heard something. Someone was calling his name.

The sound of Esdeath's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Tatsumi," she said curiously.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was going to say this earlier, but I didn't want to alarm you. Has your right eye always been red?"

Tatsumi furrowed his brow. "Uh, I'm not sure what you mean. My eyes are green."

"Hmmm." Esdeath thought for a moment, and then, in a spark of ingenuity like that of a true general, extended her arm in front of Tatsumi and conjured up a mirror of ice into her hands as though it was nothing. Knowing he couldn't move, she held it up for him so he could get a good look. "Here. See for yourself."

Tatsumi was impressed by her creativity, so much so that he commented on it, but all that admiration quickly vanished when he looked into the mirror and nearly had his heart stop. With her other hand, Esdeath reached up to his face and pulled his lower eyelid down so he could see better. He realized his right eye was nothing like it used to be. Instead of his regular iris, he had a cross-slit pupil at the center in its place, and it was colored a deep crimson, nearly identical to the eyes of the Tyrant. As shocking as it was, he didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. He could see fine, he'd been able to this whole time, but if this meant what he thought it did, then he had a lot more to worry about than his vision.

Tatsumi stared with wide eyes. "The Tyrant's eye," he breathed.

"I like the way it looks on you."

"Huh?! What are you saying?!" Tatsumi said, flabbergasted, "That can't be good! Incursio must've fused with me during the evolution!"

"I see... So that's what that red form was." Esdeath nuzzled his hair, "The fact that you haven't been consumed by your Teigu means you're so strong now, Tatsumi. I'm not surprised you're alive."

"I'm alive and I feel like crap." he muttered.

"You'll get better," she assured him, "I'll make sure you do."

Those words were unusually comforting coming from her. From the enemy. It was strange, really. Esdeath had always treated him well, and so he had no reason to hate her on that front, but she'd caused so much pain to others that it was hard not to think about. Still, she was growing on him with time, more than he'd like to admit, and part of him was scared of what that would mean. What would it mean? He still despised her. He knew that path led to a place he wasn't sure he wanted to go. Maybe it's not what he needed but what she did. She seemed like she hadn't had someone important in her life in a long time.

Just then, the sound of someone's stomach rumbling silenced the room. Tatsumi felt his cheeks get warm again.

Esdeath giggled. "Tatsumi! Why didn't you say you were hungry? You've been asleep so long you must be starving." With great diligence, Esdeath carefully maneuvered herself out of the bed, making sure Tatsumi didn't hurt himself, and then started walking out the door. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

_As if I could go anywhere._

"H-hey, where are you going?" Tatsumi said, staring at the ceiling. He was too afraid to try and lift his head.

"I'm going to make you food, of course."

_Esdeath making food? Hold on, she's a general. Does she even know how to cook?!_

Tatsumi couldn't get the words out of his mouth any faster. "Wait, wait! On second thought, I'm not hungry! In fact, I've decided I'm fasting!"

"Don't be silly. How are you supposed to get better if you don't eat?" she said from the doorframe. Before he knew it, she was already out the door and on her way to the kitchen.

"No, wait! Don't leave!"

_Goddamnit._

* * *

**I hope you guys are ready because this may very well turn into a lemon. Maximum citrus!**


	3. Dutiful Queens and Fallen Kings

**I've changed the summary to be more suitable. So I** **was originally planning for this to be a short story, but I've seen the light, and now we're going to have a fully-fledged fic. This is an evolving story so prepare yourself. I'm not sure exactly what's in store, but I do have a general idea, and it sounds great in my head.**

* * *

Tatsumi frowned. The wait was excruciating. He could only wonder what soup of death and destruction Esdeath was conjuring up for him in the kitchen, but he imagined that when it came it would be a bubbling mess like thick frothy liquid in a witch's cauldron.  _Muahahaha!_  He imagined the wicked grin on her face as she stirred the concoction. She had a penchant for torture so he'd be surprised if what came through the door was even food. It might not even be that bad, considering how hungry he was, but he didn't want to be disappointed by high expectations. Was she even making soup? How much longer was it going to take? Questions he hoped he had the right answer to.

What Tatsumi was really concerned about though was why his attire was different. He'd noticed before when he'd woken up, but it hadn't dawned on him to consider it until now. Where was his collar jacket and tan sweater? He didn't remember wearing black jeans and a purple hoodie before he got knocked out. His clothing felt completely different. He also didn't remember it being so clean, and hadn't he been coated in blood from head to toe? Wait a second. . .

_Oh god no._

Tatsumi felt like banging his head on the wall. His worst fears had been realized.

What the hell was she thinking?!

_Esdeath. She's too much._

That damn woman!  _I bet she enjoyed it,_ Tatsumi thought. He nearly exploded from the sheer realization of it. He would've done it himself had he gotten the chance, and he could only wonder what else had she taken the liberty of doing. For Tatsumi, this was not the most pleasant thing for him to learn of after realizing he had been unconscious for who knows how long. Damn it. Well... at least he was clean. And he supposed at the end of the day that was better than being dirty. He supposed, that is.

By now, Tatsumi had begun to acclimate to the pain - not much, however, it would suffice for the first day. It'd taken some work, but he'd had managed to turn his neck so that he had a view of the window. He figured any view was better than the ceiling, and it was boring without someone around to talk to. As he looked outside, he watched a crow alight on one of the trees just beyond the glass and begin to chirp. It reminded him of Akame. His friends... What could they be doing right now? Surely, they were aware of his absence and looking for him. Or had they presumed him dead? They wouldn't do that to a comrade, although he still thought of it and how he'd be stuck with Esdeath forever if they abandoned him. Well, that probably wouldn't be so bad once he got used to it, but that didn't mean it was soothing to think about. He was more worried about what would happen to  _them_ if they did come anyway.

He could see it already. The fight would be brutal. Did he even have the power to stop the it if he wanted to? As strange as it might've been in the past, it only seemed right that Tatsumi didn't let Esdeath get hurt, and certainly not his friends. As far as his friends were concerned, Tatsumi knew they wanted her dead, and they probably wouldn't feel the same way about things as he did. He would've liked to say they were going to hash things out through words, but that was wishful thinking and knew it would never happen. They hated Esdeath with a passion. He didn't see her giving up without a fight either. Any way he sliced it, the situation was going to get bloody unless he had the strength to put an end to it.

As he thought about the different ways the battle could pan out, Tatsumi turned his attention away from the window and towards the wall where Incursio leaned against. Both Esdeath and his friends were strong. Very strong. Neither side would be easy to overpower, but no matter how tough of a struggle he was in for, it had to be possible with his ascended Incursio. If he was remembering things right, and he surely was, then not even Esdeath would be able to stop him in that form.

 _Supreme Incursio..._  Tatsumi grinned. He liked the sound of that.

There were only a few things in the world that brought Tatsumi to pause, and the armor was now one of them. He could recall the sensation of wearing it so clearly. It was the rage that he remembered the most, focused and hot like a beam of magnified light. At the time, his heart had been burning inside his chest with an unquenchable anger, and he could still feel heat of a thousand suns radiating off his skin. The power to move mountains once surged brightly at his fingertips. He could've taken on the world if he wanted to. He felt unstoppable. No other form could compare to the wrath it was capable of unleashing on his enemies. Just thinking about it made his insides stir and his spine tingle in anticipation. He could get addicted to that level of power.

Supreme Incursio was fuelled by emotion, and the form lived or died by its users raging spirit. By itself, rage was a brutish and crude emotion - it was brash, reckless, and imprecise - but the armor had transfigured its impurities, refining it and concentrating it into a force for relentless destruction. The result was something that cut like a blade but hit like a sledgehammer. It's power was invigorating. Galvanizing. He wanted to experience it again for a second time. The strength. The speed. Yes, it was there for him if he wanted it. All it asked for was a reason - a source for the power - and he would get what he wanted.

Tatsumi couldn't wait. He could already feel the energy surging through his body again. As soon as he was strong enough, he would start training to increase his strength. He had no idea how long it would take to master his ascended form; the form was extremely taxing, and he didn't know how things would turn out if he entered it a second time, but he believed if he trained hard enough, he'd be able to withstand the side effects of another transformation. He  _would_ get stronger, even if it meant killing his body every day in training! First things first though; it was probably better if he didn't get ahead of himself. As of yet, he still had to master Gold Incursio, and the ascended form was too dangerous to try entering again.

Tatsumi sighed. Why couldn't he be healthy already?

Tatsumi continued to ruminate on the bed in wait of his meal. Since he wasn't sure how long it would take, he decided to induldge in a little daydreaming. For a while, he thought he was alone, but that was until he sensed a foreign presence lurking somewhere in the back of his mind. He wasn't sure what it was, but it didn't feel right. Unnatural even.

Tatsumi shuddered.

Something was wrong.

It was then that he felt a chill on his heart. Tatsumi shot up and clutched his chest. With a sickening tug, he felt some part of himself torn away as a sinister evil yanked at his soul with all its might. The onset was quick and fast like a flood. To his horror, the tug quickly turned into a pull, and then a jerk, and then it expanded until it quickly overwhelmed him in an explosion of searing pain. An earth-shattering stab split through Tatsumi's head and he grimaced. The sudden pain made him clutch his hair, and he threatened to tear it off with how hard he held on to it. A monstrous presence was filling his mind and he began to hear a voice in his head that wasn't his own. It sounded dark and forbidding like something from the underworld.

_Kill._

_Murder._

_Massacre._

The words rang endlessly like an incessant chant.

"H-hey! Who are you?! Get out of my head!" Tatsumi cried dreadfully.

He began to fret. Demonic chants echoed within his head, and he couldn't get them to stop. Whispers? Why were there whispers?! He couldn't tell what they were saying. From the darkest corners of his mind, an odious force bore down on him with savage intensity, and he felt compelled get up and carry out those impulses. No! Resist! Tatsumi growled through his teeth. He gripped onto the bedpost. It was the purest evil - vile and malevolent like liquid plague. It made him want to claw off his own skin. What is this energy? Why did he feel this way?! He felt like his insides were turning black.

"Need... to... snap out of it!" Tatsumi growled with what determination he could muster. The words wouldn't end. They were clouding his thoughts, and he could hardly think in the face of such concentrated evil.

_Stop! Make it stop!_

The ceaseless words drowned his will to resist. They seemed to amplify each other with every crashing echo. He couldn't focus. He tried to plug his ears but he could still hear the harrowing chants as loud as before. Where was it coming from?! Fear only made it stronger. It fed on weakness like a parasite. Tatsumi shut his eyes tight, but quickly opened them again when the chants got even stronger. He had nowhere to run. He had nowhere to hide. He wasn't even safe in his own head.

Tatsumi was horrified by what was happening to him, but he was so weakened that he was helpless to resist. He continued to fight back even though it was futile. With the element of surprise, the Tyrant had rooted itself within his mind and kicked out his strength from under. It knew this, and the sinister rage began devouring him like an infection. He felt like he was going to die. Before, he had been able to hold it back through passion alone, but now, with that gone, it was taking over and it was going to erase every fiber of his being. He struggled to maintain his composure as the Tyrant's volatile presence ripped at his sanity, threatening to overwhelm him completely. It's life force demanded him to surrender. Something otherworldly was surging through his veins and every ounce of it conspired against him.

"Esdeath," Tatsumi choked out, "Esdeath!"

But the door was closed.

His heart pounded in his chest. He was going to pass out and the Tyrant would have free reign over him! He had to do something now! The room began to fall into shadows as Tatsumi started dragging himself across the bed. He heaved himself across by the sheets, seizing them in his hands as tight as he could and using every iota of strength down to the last morsel. It felt like forever, but he reached the edge. In one final burst of strength, Tatsumi lunged across the room, tumbling off the bed and desperately reaching for the door on the far wall. The door was farther than he thought it was, and he plummeted over headfirst towards the ground. In his desperation, he banged his head hard onto the solid flooring and landed with a jarring thud.

The shock of the fall rattled his bones to the very core and Tatsumi was suddenly snapped awake by the blow to his skull. He felt an unnatural burden lift off his chest. The pain in his head suddenly vanished and he immediately gained some clarity back. Sprawling out on the floor, he wasn't sure what had happened, he just knew that it'd worked. Right then, almost as quick as it came, the Tyrant's presence withdrew from Tatsumi's mind and back to its own realm, the voices and whispers fading along with it. He could still hear some echoes, but eventually those vanished as well, and then it was just him in his own head.

Tatsumi was left lying alone in shambles on the floor. Tired, breathless, and confused, he simply stared at the ceiling, groaning and wallowing in his own misery. His muscles weren't too fond of explosive movements at the moment, and now he was paying for it in bouts of pain. That was a small price to pay, however, in comparison to his life. He got off cheap. In the comforting silence, he noticed his ears were ringing from the blow to his head, but anything was better than listening to those voices over and over again. He was exhausted. He could tell his body was trembling and his breath was shaky from the aftershock. It was probably better if he took a minute to gather himself before trying to get up.

"Jeez..." Tatsumi huffed wearily. He felt like he'd just fought a war all by himself. He still wasn't sure what the hell had just happened.

Beaten and exhausted, Tatsumi had been lying there for some time before the growing hunger of his stomach roused him into action. He decided to get up since Esdeath was probably going to come back soon, and he didn't want her to see him sprawled all over the floor like a messy rug. Making a spectacle of himself was the last thing he wanted. When Tatsumi thought he was ready, he tried to get back on his feet by sitting upright first. He could tell his muscles weren't too happy with him. Grimacing, he willed himself to keep going until he stood up and started walking over to the bed. His legs burned like acid, but somehow, he managed to make it until he collapsed into a heap on the mattress.

What a relief.

Rays of sunshine peered in warmly from the window and onto the bed. A gentle calm washed over Tatsumi, and he felt like he could just sink into the comforting sheets and sleep forever. He heaved a deep, tired sigh.  _Just a few minutes of rest,_ he thought. _She can just wake me when she comes._  He had almost passed out when the smell of a hot meal wafted into the room from the hallway, and the sound of heeled boots followed it closely behind. The aroma was surprisingly delightful, and Tatsumi had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore.

"Heh. Damn it," Tatsumi chuckled langourously. His eyelids were dancing on the brink of slumber. "I was almost out too."

Tatsumi definitely wasn't expecting anything good to come through the door when he heard the approaching click-clack of Esdeath's heels, but the delicious smell was making him consider otherwise. Gingerly, he dragged himself upright and sat at the edge of the bed. His stomach rumbled with curiosity. The air had a cozy smell of baked dough and savory beef swirling through it. What did she even make? Though he was exhausted, he could feel the aroma rejuvenating and strengthening his famished spirit. It smelled fantastic! He must know! What could it possibly b-

The door swung open.

"Sorry for the wait! I haven't cooked in a long time!" Esdeath said, bursting in with a plate in her hand and a smile on her face. In her hands, she brandished a hearty dish of beef pie and potatoes. And it was still hot from the oven.

_Who is this person?_

He had to be hallucinating.

"Don't worry about it..." Tatsumi said, his voice trailing off at the sight of piping hot food.

"You didn't tell me what you wanted, so I thought I'd surprise you." Esdeath said, handing Tatsumi the plate and sitting down next to him.

Tatsumi looked down at the warm plate of food in his hands and then towards Esdeath again. He should've looked glad to have something to eat, but his face seemed to be frozen in a mask of bewilderment. He still wasn't sure if it was Esdeath he was talking to. "Uh, thanks..."

"Well, don't just sit there. Try it!" she urged him.

_This is really happening._

"Right right, sorry. I was just thinking about something." Tatsumi said, snapping out of his trance. Remembering his ravenous hunger, he promptly grabbed the fork on the plate and held it over the pie's crust. "Okay, here goes.  _Itadakimasu!_ "

Tatsumi dug his fork into the crust of the pie. He made sure to get a little bit of everything - the beef, the potatoes, and most certainly some of the pastry - and then he eagerly brought it to his lips. As soon as started chewing, his toes curled into his feet, and he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling start flowing through his body. He widened his eyes in astonishment. Amazing! Tatsumi went for a second bite after the first went down incredibly smooth. It tasted pleasant like sunshine and was just as invigorating.

"Ooooooooh! This is really good!" Tatsumi said, digging in for another mouthful. The savory flavors enveloped his tongue.

A warm smile lit up Esdeath's face. "I'm glad it turned out so well. I can't remember the last time I made that dish, or cooked, for that matter."

Tatsumi was burning with curiosity. "What? No way," he said, surprised, "This is amazing for someone who hasn't had any practice in a while. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"In the wastelands with my clan. My father taught me. Warm food was often one of the only comforts we had there. "

"Your father must've been a great cook," Tatsumi said as he continued to eat. "You know, you never really told me much about your clan or yourself,"

"You have more questions? I'll tell you anything, Tatsumi."

"Well, uh, there's something I've been wanting to ask you ever since we met..." Tatsumi's gaze fell and his expression hardened into something more serious. His eyes grew dark and emotive like a shadowed forest, and then he looked back at Esdeath, "I'm asking because you've always seem so resilient to death. Who... who taught you how to kill? To take the life of a living creature?"

Esdeath's eyes stopped to consider him, her gaze boring deep into Tatsumi's soul before she looked away thoughtfully. It was a good question, and so she decided to take her time coming up with answer.

"Sorry, was it too much?" Tatsumi asked, noticing her pause.

Esdeath chuckled, "No, that's not it. I just need a moment to think."

Esdeath contemplated his words for a brief moment before turning back towards Tatsumi. Then she spoke, simple and straightforward. Tatsumi stopped eating to listen to her reply.

"I despise those who lack the will to take life," she said loathingly, "If there's anything I learned from my time in the wild, it's what nature taught me. The necessity of life is to kill or be killed. I've always enjoyed the feeling, and I can't remember a time when I didn't like it, but it wasn't until my father died that I realized it was the natural order of things." Esdeath explained. She paused, as though questioning what she had just said, but then her voice darkened, and she continued, "Nature is an excellent teacher. What I learned from it is as clear to me now as it was then: Mercy is for the weak, and only the strong survive. My parents died because they couldn't kill. I won't succumb to that same fate. That's why I am the strongest."

Tatsumi looked down. He'd been expecting that answer - in fact, he'd seen it coming from a mile away - but hearing it still hurt all the same. "I see... You love killing, don't you, Esdeath?" When she nodded, Tatsumi found himself at a loss for words. He wasn't quite sure what to say next, but then there was one final question that came to mind. "Why?" he asked.

Esdeath grinned wickedly. Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear, "Because it feels like winning."


	4. Kill the Madness

"You're in my netherrealm now," a twisted voice echoed.

The world brightened into existence.

Tendrils of orange and red whipped wildly around Tatsumi as he came to his senses. A great fire licked the ground at every side but the flames, though wild and violent, kept their distance and dared not to touch the man himself. The heat kissed his skin. All around him, the air was thick with burning embers, cinder, and residue that fell steadily like blackened snow. He could smell it with every breath, permeating his nose and rousing his senses. Watching closely, he observed as a single ember passed in front of his vision, still glowing hot with energy. The beauty of annihilation. In every direction, the world had been engulfed in a lake of fire as unfathomable as anything could possibly be. The destruction reflected off both his eyes which were now a deep, penetrating crimson. He'd never felt so much power in one place. He didn't know how he got here, but he could feel the sole force responsible for it all around him, its presence weighing down oppressively and with the same familiar sensation to it, only this time it didn't feel wrong anymore.

Tatsumi settled his feet into the ground. He stood imperiously upon a mountain of ashes that overlooked the entirety of the carnage. Raising his hand, he examined it in wonder as though he'd never really seen it before nor ever realized the true power it held. He recognized the familiar red gauntlets that covered them. He was wearing armor in its ascended form and the dark undercurrents of power were crackling just above his body. Instead of a blazing red, the aura was now black like the night. The source of this power felt different from the first time. It felt foreign, but the feeling was just as exhilarating. Grinning, Tatsumi realized it was him who had caused the surrounding destruction. He threw his head back in uproarious laughter. He was not himself. Dimly, somewhere in the back of his mind beyond the reach of his current person, he knew this and he knew it well, but, the amazing thing was that he didn't care. The here and the now, that is what mattered. And right now he liked this new thing he had become.

Tatsumi felt a mysterious shift and the eerie character in his mind spoke again. The voice seemed to fill his head despite its leveled tone. This time its words were dark and and inviting. "Yes... That's it... You need this power...  _You want it..._ Give yourself to me and you can have it all."

Both of Tatsumi's eyes were now identical to the Tyrant's own and he saw the world through their infernal lens. There was not a soul to be found, only unchecked wrath for as far as the eye could see. It made him burn with a strange hunger. He soaked it in. The flames around him warmed his skin to the point of enticement. The flames were impossibly hot, but it didn't hurt to be surrounded by them, in fact, the heat they produced filled his heart with exhilaration. The more the fire consumed, the more it fuelled him and filled his veins with an intoxicating vigor. Something in the back of his mind was not okay with this, unsettled by it even, but this feeling was washed away by the surrounding heat and the oppressive presence of a sinister being. He was blind to his own deception; the power controlled him and it did not answer to rationality. It merely commanded.

Tatsumi clenched his fist and the flames surged wildly. The power was enough to make him forget about anything else. Standing upon a pile the ashes felt much like standing on top of the world. He could do anything! He wielded great strength at the tips of his fingers and he could feel the energy coursing up his arm. With a flick of his hand, he directed the destruction of the flames, and they continued to expand endlessly into the distance, never satisifed, never satiated until they had consumed all there was to consume. If he willed it, it turned to ash and dust. There was a point where nothing but razed landscape stretched on in every direction for eternity, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. The endless fields of dust and destruction had their own way of focusing the mind that he oddly enjoyed. He liked this power. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more! He wanted to erase it all!

And so he did.

Like some hidden instinct he never knew he had, Tatsumi felt his hand across his vision as though it had a mind of its own. The intention was there, and then it just happened. At his command, a great wind came and the fires were suddenly extinguished as everything instantly vanished, enveloping the land in total darkness. As soon as he had made the gesture, empty silence filled the space around him in one big downpour. It was all gone in a fraction of a second. For the first time in his life, even if it was for a sliver of a time, Tatsumi knew what total silence sounded like. He had thought himself alone, but then, somewhere in that blur of blackness and quiet, he felt as though dark fingers had plucked something from his memory.

Then he blinked.

He had blinked and he found himself somewhere he hadn't expected. He was back at the Capital in the same bar where he'd taken Leone on his first day, however, the setting was a bit different. Esdeath and all his friends were there, chatting and carousing to their heart's content like nothing in the world had ever happened to them. The memory of this vision was vaguely familiar to his corrupted mind but not entirely so in his current state. Even though Tatsumi was beyond the reach of his normal self, still, he was not entirely numb, and a wistful longing overcame him. He watched silently, feeling the whole time like something was missing. Like something should've been accompanying what he was seeing but he just didn't know what it was. A certain feeling he couldn't place his finger on. He remained impassive because that very thing had been stolen so callously from him.

Although it lacked the emotion behind it, Tatsumi felt himself smile in a slip of memory, but that smile quickly hardened into something else. He could see it everywhere.  _Descending. Unrelenting._ His eyes flared with savagery.

The feeling compelled him.

It compelled him to burn it all down!

Tatsumi's hand started to raise with an evil intention, and he knew what would happen next.

The rage invigorated Tatsumi but that wasn't all he experienced. He felt a familiar presence, muddled and murky, but still there reaching out to him like it had been summoned by his radical actions. Miraculously, by some twist of fate, the Tyrant had underestimated Tatsumi's will and he wasn't entirely gone. Somehow, somewhere, in the most remote regions of his mind, his original self called out to him, and he managed to come to his senses, the entirety of his memory snapping back into place. Even though he hadn't been in the right frame of mind, the radicality of the action was enough for him to get out of his trance. Emotions were not so easily tampered with, and his were abruptly knocked back into place, flooding into his mind with a vicious surge that made him realize what was going on. He wasn't the one controlling his arm. He felt it in his bones. But he couldn't stop it from lifting.

What was he doing?! What was going on?

_No! No, don't!_

His arm wouldn't listen. Something had possessed his body and it was controlling him like his limbs were attached to strings. Tatsumi desperately fought to hold himself back as his arm raised slowly, deathly upwards, but it was too late and he could only watch in terror as he flicked his wrist and the peace he envisioned was engulfed in a murderous inferno made of black fire. Tatsumi tried to look away but he was compelled once more, this time to watch as the scene and everyone in it burned to the ground by his hand. The blaze quickly overran them as though it was a blistering wind. Tatsumi could hear it all so clearly and with horrid intention. He could hear the harrowing shrieks of his friends as the flames licked their flesh off like sweet honey and ate them alive, piece by mortifying piece. It didn't stop. And it didn't end. The inferno continued to burn their bodies until they were nothing but ash and dust sprinkled over the ground like dirt.

Tatsumi stood before the raging flames. He wanted to scream but the noises wouldn't come out as his lips betrayed him and split into a odious smile, his eyes leering impassively with a demonic, sinister hunger. Helpless in his own body, the tears were welling up but nothing came out.

The voice in Tatsumi's head was back again. It yelled gravelly and with scathing venom. "The woman is  _nothing_ compared to our combined power!"

As soon as those words registered, Tatsumi heard a noise come from just ahead of him - a rustling within the flaming debris of the building. He wanted to look away but his body remained locked into position. Just then, the air became thick and tainted with an unmistakable stench. It was the stench of death...

_Burnt flesh..._

Then Tatsumi heard another noise and he watched as someone clambered out of the fire and started crawling towards him. He wasn't sure who it was, but then he saw the imperial cap on her head or what the raging inferno had left of it. Her clothing had melted into her skin and her body was scorched and calcinated by the blaze. She was beyond recognition. As the flames hissed at her body, they cast their raging glow on her form and he could see her mutilated face, charred and cracked like barren earth, and the blood between the cracks coagulated as though it was gel. Her skin was charred like burnt meat. She croaked and dragged her blackened arms across the ground, scraping her way towards him.

"Ta...tsu...mi..." Her breath rasped in her throat. She reached out, eyes pleading for the smallest morsel of compassion.

Tatsumi finally screamed.

He yelled for it to end, he yelled in agony with a single, deafening word.

His voice rang loud and clear with emotion. In an instant, everything was gone, and Tatsumi opened his eyes, violently shooting upright in a convulsion of harrowing dread. He choked out in pain. His first breath was a deep, oxygen-starved gasp. He was awake now but he could still smell it, the taint of its vile odor still clinging tightly onto his senses. It made him want to retch, and gag, and fall to his knees in terror. He immediately sucked in more air, laboring for those first few precious breaths, desperately trying to breathe in anything other than that sickening stench which had filled his nostrils only mere moments ago. It lingered with him for a few seconds, but somehow, he managed to get the grisly smell out of his head. That didn't stop the fear though. It kept running through him like a train.

He was now staring down at both his trembling hands. He realized the gauntlets were gone, and he couldn't feel the same dark power coursing through his arms as before.  _It was a dream, it was just a dream,_ he told himself. But he knew he didn't believe it. His eyes were watering like there was still smoke and ash and everything around him was still being burned to the ground. Tatsumi felt his eyes blink on their own and then the water cascaded out, the tears clearing bleakened tracks down his face.  _Don't blink, don't blink,_ he thought. Tatsumi fought against the reflex. He tried to keep himself from closing his eyes for too long, fearing the image had been burned into his retinas as it had his memory. The sheer shock of the dream made his skin clammy to touch and he could feel hot flashes shooting out from all over his body. He found himself clutching the bedsheets as he tried to calm down, too afraid to let go.

_Esdeath?!_

Tatsumi thought about her. He began to fret and panic, his face contorting in complete fear at what could've happened. She had been on the verge of death in his dreams. What if he did something during his sleep? What if he killed her? He didn't want to rule out hallucination after the past few days of hearing voices in his head. She was supposed to be lying in bed beside him, all he had to do was look to see if she was there, but he remained frozen in place and unable to move. She had to be there. She had to be! If she wasn't, what was he going to do? He didn't know, but he just had to turn his head and find out. He didn't want to. He stared down in willful ignorance at the mattress, his lungs still noticeably winded from his rough awakening. He'd only been looking for a second or two, but his heart already felt like it was going to break free from his chest. He couldn't take it anymore! He needed to know!

Tatsumi tore his gaze from the mattress and looked to his left.

To his surprise, Esdeath was still there. And she was sleeping peacefully. With a rush of relief, Tatsumi felt his grip loosen and the bedsheets slipped from his hands. The sight of her chest rising and falling like the waves seemed to thaw his blood from its frozen state.

At least there was a silver lining...

Tatsumi felt like he had been blessed. His mind may have been slipping from him but he was thankful he got to keep his heart.

He gazed deeply at Esdeath for a moment as a strange, inexplicable sense of passion met his mind, and he found himself enraptured in a way he never had been by her appearance. She looked beautiful. Serene emotions were written all over her expression. What was this feeling? He felt so close to her. There was peace waiting for him in her beautifully elegant features and the steady rise and fall of her chest. It calmed the storm inside him and had a way of clearing his thoughts that Tatsumi took careful note of. His reaction confused him but he didn't fight it. Instead, he looked at his hand again and shoved it under his arm as though to keep it from doing anything else.

Tatsumi knew for sure now that something was wrong with him. The way he had grinned in his dream stuck a chill all the way through his body. He didn't know who he was or what he had been earlier, but he was scared of even the slightest chance of him becoming that person. The mere thought of it sent a gut-wrenching shiver down his spine. That was no person, that was a monster. And he vowed to never let himself become so depraved. He'd told himself in the past that he could endure anything as long as he could have more power, but in retrospect, Tatsumi wasn't so sure anymore. What was power if it changed him as a person? What was power without the will to direct it? Power, if he could not control it, was something else entirely. But he needed it to protect his friends. He cared for them. He had cared for people in the past although never like he did now. In his time with Night raid, he'd bled alongside those who showed him compassion, and he now realized there are things he wanted to protect in this world... even, if it cost him his life.

Tatsumi sat there itching with dread. It'd only been a few days since he regained consciousness but the symptoms had gotten worse. He feared what would become of this. Ever since he'd fused with Incursio, he had felt something off about himself, a strange malaise, but not once did he think it would amount to anything serious. He realized now what it was. It was an evil welling up from within. That presence, that sinister presence so strong that it could muddle his thoughts and control his dreams, it had to be the Tyrant. Yes, there was no mistaking it. It's spirit was the embodiment of death and pestilence. He could feel it twisting around inside him, growing, getting stronger, eating at his insides like a parasite in his stomach. It was going to devour him from the inside out, and the sensation turned his blood an icy cold. When he evolved, he hadn't just fused with Incursio...  _he had fused with the beast itself._

Tatsumi shuddered at this realization. His fears were replaced by heavy numbness that fell over him and set a chill deep into his bones. The still air only served to heighten his sense of dread. What did this mean for him? He couldn't exactly just sit on this like any other problem, but on the other hand, he wasn't exactly sure what to do. If anything, the last thing on his mind was going back to sleep so he elected to sit there and consider his options. He was so worried that he ended up drifting into the home of his thoughts quicker than he realized, completely inattentive to his surroundings.

With his attention occupied, Tatsumi was oblivious to the moment Esdeath's eyelids fluttered or when she began to stir from under the sheets. She awoke groggily. When her eyes opened, her gaze immediately fell upon Tatsumi, but she couldn't see the distressed look written all over his expression. He was looking away from her, his outfit on display in the moonlight but his face under an an obscuring shadow. She was curious so she prompty sat up, rested her back on her hands, and turned to face him.

"Tatsumi?" she said, breaking the silence.

Tatsumi didn't show it but the sound of her voice nearly made him jump out of his skeleton. His face was pale with apprehension and he tried not to make it obvious as he turned his head to meet her gaze. "Esdeath?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Don't scare me like that. I thought you were sleeping."

"Tatsumi, what are you doing up so late?" she said, concerned. "Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

_A ghost would've been much nicer._

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me," Tatsumi said with as much conviction as he could muster, "This room's a bit warm. I'm just having trouble falling asleep, is all."

"Is that so?" Esdeath raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "It's not warm in here at all."

His response piqued her interest. She leaned forward attentively on her hands and knees, getting curiously close to Tatsumi's face to examine his expression. Tatsumi felt like his voice was stuck when Esdeath got right in front of him. She'd interrogated enough people to know a lie when she heard one.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" Tatsumi stuttered with a blush. His cheeks suddenly felt hot.

"I can see right through you," Esdeath said. "You're nervous. And not a very good liar either."

_Shit._

She was already on to him. Tatsumi laughed nervously which he realized probably didn't help his case like he wished it had. He could feel her eyes scrutinizing every inch of his expression, and the proximity of their faces wasn't making it any easier to concentrate. "Um, I don't know what you're talking about." he maintained.

"You've been having trouble sleeping these past few days. I think you do. And I think something's on your mind. Tell me," Esdeath ordered. She spoke clearly and with command.

"U-uh..." Tatsumi felt like he was disintegrating under her gaze. The pressure was beginning to make him sweat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see how revealing her satin night gown was, and it took all his strength for him to mentally slap himself. "I-it's the middle of the night, Esdeath. Can't you just go back to sleep... Like a normal person?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" Tatsumi shot back.

"Because I want to know what's bothering you," Esdeath replied. "By the look on your face a second ago, I would say it is important."

_Damn it... She really wants to know now. Knowing her, she's probably not going to leave me alone until I say it... I can't give in._

"Hey, just because you want to know something doesn't mean I'll go ahead and straight up tell you. What if this is something I'd rather keep to myself?" Tatsumi said defensively.

"But I'm concerned. Is it about Night Raid?"

"What does it matter?" Tatsumi said.

"I just want to make sure you're comfortable is all."

Tatsumi crossed his arms. "I'm perfectly comfortable," he declared.

Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."

"It doesn't matter whether or not you believe me." Tatsumi said, curtly. "Aren't you tired anyway? Just go back to bed, Esdeath."

"Don't try and change the subject. If you want me to go away, why don't you just say what you were thinking about?"

Tatsumi pouted like a stubborn child. "Why should I?"

"I can give you several reasons."

"Oh, yeah?" Tatsumi said rhetorically, settling into the bed and turning his head away from her intensive eyes. He wasn't about to lose this. He'd show her just how able to convince him she was.

Slight astonishment crossed Esdeath's face. She was surprised to see this but at the same time not. If there was something about Tatsumi that never failed to impress her, it was his sheer stubbornness in committing to an action. Not many people had this trait but it was an attractive one to have. It was a strong trait. It could be vexing but deep down she knew it made her blood burn white-hot with excitement. Not many people could stand up to someone of such imposing character like her, and those who did usually perished fairly quickly. But he didn't care. When push came to shove, he had always defied her and stayed true to himself. It was maddening trying to wrap her head around it. However she did know one thing. She liked this little game they played and she wasn't about to lose to him.

"Heh. You're always so headstrong..." Esdeath said endearingly. "I like that about you, however, I should probably give you a word of advice: It'd be wiser to just tell me what you were thinking. In my time under the Empire, I've studied many men. Hundreds I would say. Torture has given me a lot of exposure, and I've spent enough time experimenting to understand them like the back of my hand. Every twist, every turn—what hurts and what doesn't.I don't think you realize just how  _convincing_ I can be."

_Huh?!_

Tatsumi's face contorted with confusion. "What?" he said in shock, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're going to force me to tell you?"

Esdeath let out a sly chuckle. A cunning simper poked at the corners of her mouth and she asked him, "Have you ever heard the saying...  _'Every man has his weakness'_?"

Then Esdeath leaned in. Her words hung precariously in the air. She leaned in close, dangerously, like a silver-tongued fox, the way she did it compelling Tatsumi to stay still and locking him firmly into place. He wanted to move, but it was like his muscles had turned to cement and concrete. He couldn't do a thing, and she knew exactly what she was doing to him. She proceeded to wrap her arms around her frozen target. Pulling Tatsumi into an embrace, she parted her lips, and with a voice smooth as silk, said softly into his ear, "I would never force you, Tatsumi... But I care about your well-being.  _Please,_ tell me what's bothering you."

Tatsumi's eyes widened.

_W-what?_

_She... she..._

His rationality began to fade into the background. Sweetened words lulled his senses and he felt the resistance spill right out of him when they registered. They took his breath away as they ran down his unexpecting ears, draining him to the tips of his fingers and toes as though she had recited some forbidden spell. He knew he was playing into her hands by being beguiled like this, and yet he didn't care. It was wrong but it felt so right. He practically couldn't speak. He could hear himself choking on letters and for a moment his troubles were abolished. The sounds he made he simply couldn't fathom into words.

"I can make you feel better... Just let me..." Esdeath whispered. She rubbed her cheek lovingly against his.

"Esdeath..." Tatsumi uttered, swallowing the magic and somehow managing to speak again, "I get the feeling you know more than you're letting on."

Esdeath hugged him tighter. "I know enough to see that you're hurting. I heard the way you woke up from that nightmare."

"You heard that, huh?" Tatsumi's eyes fell somber, "I might as well tell you then," he shuddered, breaking their embrace. Tatsumi's face remained stern, but his voice shook as a grim fear set into it, "You don't know what I saw, Esdeath. What I did... Ever since I fused with Incursio, I've felt something off about myself. I don't know what it is, but I can feel something evil gnawing at the back of my head every night. It's like I'm losing my mind. I'm hearing voices and when I'm by myself I dont feel alone anymore, I feel like there's something in the background watching me, just eating at my conscience, and it's making me go crazy. It makes me want to claw off my own skin. Sometimes I even want to rip out my hair. I'm scared, and I don't know what to do about it. I've never felt anything like that before."

Esdeath didn't say anything.

Tatsumi's confession brought the air to a standstill. Words often didn't often disturb Esdeath, but these were enough to cast a chilling silence upon her that sent a shivers down Tatsumi's spine. It was brief, but glaringly noticeable. Nothing that bothered her could be good...  _Nothing._

The lapse of silence passed, and Esdeath finally spoke. "What vile symptoms... Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she said like he should know better.

A sheepish expression crossed Tatsumi's face. "I... thought I could handle it."

Esdeath snorted in disapproval. "Tatsumi... your stubborness is one of your greatest strength's but also a serious vulnerability. You should know when to seek help from others. Even I know this." Sighing, Esdeath said, "But I suppose it can't be helped."

"So what do you think it is?" Tatsumi asked.

"I suspect you already know."

"The Tyrant..." he said fearfully.

"So it seems," Esdeath remarked. "I was hoping this wouldn't be a consequence of your fusion but I wasn't sure until now. Your symptoms are awfully similar to something I experienced with my Teigu. Listen closely, because what I'm going to tell you may be a matter of life and death. Do you remember—not too long ago—when we were on that island and you asked about my Teigu? The Demon's Extract?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Tatsumi asked.

Esdeath turned gravely serious. "There's something I think you should know. Back then, I told you I had tamed my Teigu, but I when I said that I wasn't telling you the complete truth. As a consequence of drinking the lifeblood of a Danger Beast, I had to contend with the will of its spirit. It took me a lot more than getting past the initial test to tame it, and those symptoms of yours are similar to what I experienced. Time will tell, but if you can't control the Tyrant then this is may be the extent of your life."

"Hold on, are you saying I could die?!"

"I'm not certain - the consequences depend heavily on the Teigu - but it is possible."

"Y-you're lying!" Tatsumi stammered in denial.

"Tatsumi, I would never lie to you."

"You know, I appreciate the honesty, but I'm not sure if that's the most comforting thing in the world to hear right now..." Tatsumi moped. He exchanged an expectant gaze with her. "Well, you've dealt with this before. What should I do?"

"I'm afraid I'm not an expert, but I do happen to know someone who is. I think she can help us. I can't quite remember her name, but the Prime Minister recommended for me to go see her after I acquired my Teigu. She lives in a city not far from here."

"Really? She can fix this?" Tatsumi chimed hopefully.

"If you're asking me if I trust her skills, then yes, I would say so."

Tatsumi felt his muscles loosen. "Oh, what a relief. That sounds like a plan. Let's head out tomorrow then!"

Esdeath blushed at his reaction. He was always so vibrant.

"Very well," she said. "We can talk more about it in the morning if you want, but for now, why don't we get some rest?"

Rest.

The prospect seemed daunting.

When Tatsumi first put his head back down on the pillow, he didn't think he would be able to fall asleep again, the idea of another nightmare was just too much to bear, but then Esdeath lied down right next to him and nestled her head on his chest. He didn't mind being this close to her tonight. The feeling of her skin rubbing against his wasn't so bad anymore. In fact, he embraced it. Soon, the bad thoughts began to dissipate, and then he realized closing his eyes wasn't going to be as hard as he thought it would be.

That night, he didn't have any more nightmares.


End file.
